The King's True Rival
by Anti-Mattering
Summary: Jack's dreams of a real challenge get more vivid, forcing him to consider who this challenger might really be and how they might know each other.
1. The Dream

_Jack dreams of a man who might finally satisfy him._

* * *

"It was a good attempt, but even you can't stand up to the power of my rugged soul, Red Daemon's Dragon!" Wheel of Fortune's engine roared as he tore down the track. Red Daemon's soared overhead. Everything was as it should be, but they both somehow felt...off.

Both his D-Wheel and his dragon didn't seem to be themselves. A detail here or there, the way they acted, even the card itself weren't what he was used to. Yet it all felt right, like this was how things had always been even though he knew that wasn't true.

Then his opponent spoke. "Jack," he said in what seemed like a voice he'd heard thousands of times before. "I can tell how much you've improved since our last duel. You really are the best." Then he chuckled. "But I won't be losing that easily!"

He played a monster unfamiliar yet familiar on the field. "When I control no monsters, I can Special Summon the Tuner Monster, Unknown Synchron, from my hand. Then, I'll play my second Tuner, Junk Synchron!" This was logically the first time he'd ever seen either of these cards, but that didn't change his instincts of having fought then before.

"When Junk Synchron is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower monster in my Graveyard with its effects negated on the field. Be reborn, Tuning Supporter!"

"Impressive, three monsters at once. Even so, none of those weaklings can defeat the King!"

"I'm not done. When I control a Tuner Monster, I can Special Summon Bolt Hedgehog from my Graveyard. And, when a monster is revived from my Graveyard, I can summon Dopplewarrior from my hand." His field was flush with monsters. The only move left was obvious.

"I'm tuning my Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog, Level 2 Dopplewarrior, and Level 1 Tuning Supporter with my Level 3 Junk Synchron! Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!"

Here it was, a monster that he had simultaneously never seen yet faced hundreds of times in the past. "Take flight, Stardust Dragon!" The white dragon let out a roar as it faced down his own, keeping pace with the two as they rode down the highway. Its majesty and ferocity nearly outclassed Red Daemon's.

But that wasn't the end. "When Tuning Supporter is used for a Synchro Summon, I can draw 1 card. Furthermore, if Dopplewarrior is used as Synchro Material, I can summon a Dopple Token to my field in Attack Mode."

He scoffed. "Replenish your hand, summon your dragon. We both know you can't overcome Red Daemon's power with such typical moves, -" The man's name was lost on him. His own ears couldn't even pick up what he'd just said.

"Jack, you know better than anyone I have another strategy." It was the truth, and what's more, it thrilled him to think about.

"I'm tuning my Level 1 Dopple Token with my Level 1 Unknown Synchron! Gathering wishes will call out a new speed's horizon! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! The power of hope, Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron!"

Synchro Tuner? He knew this should be a more shocking revelation, but he didn't seem to react to it as such. Rather, it seemed typical. What was going on here?

"Here I come, Jack! Clear Mind!" His opponent began to pick up remarkable speed, overtaking him like it was nothing. "Clustering crystal dreams, open the door to a new evolution! Become the path its light shines upon! Accel Synchro! Be born, Shooting Star Dragon!" In an instant, his D-Wheel disappeared entirely, a shockwave threatening to knock Wheel of Fortune over were it not for his expert riding ability. Then, just as suddenly, he appeared again with a thundering blast of sound, an even more powerful dragon flying beside him.

And then it ended. Jack sat up in bed, sweat pouring down his face. He peered down to find his hand shaking, though it was clearly out of excitement rather than fear. Just to be safe, he checked the deck resting inside a nightstand beside him, confirming that Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight was the same as always.

Who was that man? Why did he keep having this dream? Every single time, it was a different part of the duel coming closer and closer to the ending, and every single time, he felt content. None of it made any sense.

"Yu...sei..." Was that his name? He'd said it without even thinking. No one he had ever met in his entire life – not Commons, not Tops, not even an outsider – had that name, so why else would he know it? And not even that. It was more that the name felt right in a way. Almost like, what other name would someone like him have besides Yusei?

He walked to the floor length windows in his penthouse bedroom, gazing out over the City. His hunger for power may have been sated, but there was no denying that it was lonely at the top. Not in mundane ways like a lust for companionship, but in a lust for a true challenge. Every opponent he'd faced since assuming the throne was a pathetic excuse for a duelist who could barely hold his interest for the length of a single ride.

But this man was different. He could feel it in his soul itself. This man was a true challenge, even a peer. Maybe even a superior. He clenched his fist as hard as he could, longing for that challenge once again, to at least be allowed to finish that dream just once.

Dream or not, he knew that man was out there. He didn't know how he knew it, but he knew it. Somewhere, there was this "Yusei" he seemed to know, and one day they would get to have their duel, he was sure of it. Something drew them together beyond either of their understanding.

And until that day, he would wait at the top.

* * *

Just finished rewatching 5D's, so there's your explanation for this.

Probably not a super original premise at this point, but I still wanted to get my take on things out there. I'm almost certain this exact story has been told at least once already, though, so not entirely convinced this story was needed in the end.

This takes place before Yuya showed up to muck about in the Synchro Dimension, obviously, so Jack is still King right now. The 5D's segment, though, takes place after the end of the show and probably past the point of the flashforward in the last episode. Jack's probably come home to Neo Domino for another shot at Yusei here. Honestly, though, it could be any point in time given the nature of the two of them.

I didn't intend to write this as any shippy, but if you want to take it like that, I certainly won't stop you. The love of Yusei's life died in a tragic black hole accident and he couldn't accept Aki's feelings because of their mutual need to separate, and ARC-V Jack doesn't have anyone to get with since this Crow has Shinji and Carly doesn't seem to exist.

Just like I said on my Valentine's Day story, maybe I'll use this as an excuse to flesh out my version of what a post-ARC-V world might be, but we'll see.

That's about all I have to say. Thanks for reading. Always remember to Google people who you see in your dreams to check if they're real or not.


	2. The Meeting

_Jack enlists Crow to help him find the man of his dream._

* * *

"You're not listening!" Jack yelled, slamming his fist down onto the table and rattling his cup of Blue-Eyes Mountain coffee.

"I got it, I got it!" Crow said, waving his hand dismissively. "You had a dream about dueling a guy on a red D-Wheel with a white dragon."

"It was more than a dream!" he insisted. "I don't know why, but I could feel it. I'm destined to have a duel with this man."

Crow sighed, scratching his head. "Look, it's not that I don't really believe you. We've seen a lot of crazy stuff in the last few months, so I guess anything's possible now. But even if it's true, what are you going to do about it?"

"Naturally, I'll find him."

"So you've got a lead, right?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Then why call me out here?" he asked in frustration.

Jack closed his eyes, finding it troublesome to admit the truth. "Because you're the only one I can turn to, Crow. I've spent too much time up above. You have connections down here, though, so if anyone can find the man I'm looking for, it would be you."

"I guess you've got a point," he said, reluctant to take on a job like this. "Still, with nothing to go on besides a D-Wheel and a dragon, there's not much we can do. How do we even know he lives in City? That dragon was a Synchro Monster, so we can at least narrow the search to our own dimension, but with how often people are traveling these days..."

"There's one more thing," Jack said. He clenched his fist, somewhat frustrated he had to reveal this detail. Not out of mistrust, but simply for a desire to keep it for himself. It felt special like that for some reason. "His name. Yusei."

"Yusei," Crow repeated, rubbing his chin. "Never heard it, but I'll start asking around. Maybe Yuya or one of the Lancers can keep an eye out in another dimension, too." He nodded, taking a sip from his coffee before spitting it out. "This is horrible!"

"I warned you not to buy the cheap swill," Jack said, drinking from his premium cup to emphasize his point.

"Not all of us can afford a 3,000 yen cup of coffee every time we go out. I've got three kids and Shinji to support, and I'm trying to do it honestly these days."

"That seems like an issue of personal responsibility, then."

"Piss off," he said, pouring the drink out on the ground. Anger aside, Crow began to worry. "You ever think about the future of this place?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Occasionally. What are you talking about?"

"It's just..." He sighed. "Mayor Yeager's new housing initiative seems pretty good. It's helping restore the slums and build new places so people are off the streets, but I don't know if it's going to work out right. A lot of people are saying they might use it as an excuse to raise the property taxes and force us out, especially when all the Tops come looking for cheap real estate on the ground."

Jack nodded. "You may be right. I've already heard some talking of buying out large areas of the slums to renovate things. I could try to discuss the issue with the mayor. I'm no longer the King, but I still have some connections in society for the time being."

"That's probably a good idea. At least to make sure it's all on the up and up." Since the dimensions connected, the two had become something akin to leaders among their respective sides of the City during its uneasy reunification. Even so, neither ever felt entirely confident in the things they did. They weren't politicians, activists, or community organizers; just a couple of people catapulted into the spotlight trying their best.

Whether it was their choice or not to take on these responsibilities, though, they had a commitment to seeing it through. "Maybe we'll get lucky and take care of both of these things at the same time. For all we know, that Yusei guy could be the mayor's secretary."

Jack chuckled. "I doubt it would be that easy." Finishing the last of his drink, he set the cup down and stood up. "I'll see about getting in contact with the mayor today and find out what he plans to do about this kind of issue."

Crow nodded. "I'll start spreading the word about your guy for you. It might take some time, though. We're almost done with the orphanage, and they put me in charge of finding staff."

"I would imagine they'd want someone more personable and responsible than you to care for the children," Jack said, not realizing he'd accidentally insulted Crow until a moment later.

"When all your King money runs out, don't even bother asking for a job!" he said, stomping over to his D-Wheel and putting on his helmet. Jack did the same, mounting their rides and driving off in opposite directions to go about their business, the reporters and paparazzi that had been quietly watching and photographing them scrambling to try and figure out who to follow and how.

It would be some time before anything came of their search for Yusei. Both had asked around their social circles and found nothing useful in response. Even scouring the City on their D-Wheels proved a fruitless endeavor given its huge size. Not even contacts in other countries or the other dimensions were of help, having neither seen nor heard a word of this man's existence.

On the community front, all attempts to contact the mayor had fallen through. Jack was repeatedly met with the same stock line of how busy he was with all the new development going on, with scheduled meetings being pushed back further and further into next year. His strategy of simply barging into the office didn't work out too well, either, as he was escorted out by several security officers before he could even reach the right room. Even the former King had his limits, it seemed.

A full month passed with no luck on either front. However, this wasn't how things were meant to end. Only a few days after Jack's removal from the government building, they finally found themselves a lead. Damon had heard talk of someone on the outskirts of the City working at a dinky little mechanics shop. He wasn't sure whether it was the card they told him about, but people had said that one of the employees there used a white dragon.

While it wasn't much to go on, it was still better than what they had before (that being absolutely nothing). Jack and Crow set out almost immediately, driving for half a day towards the area spoken of. Without Damon's tip, they likely never would have even come here given how remote it was.

They watched as buildings became fewer and more far between, with only the occasional shack dotting the barren landscape. Was there really a mechanic all the way out here in the boonies? Who could even run a business with so few people?

Lo and behold, though, there it was. The shabby, handmade sign was marked with the name "Fudo Repair", the building it was attached to looking just as weathered but still quite a bit better than many of the surrounding buildings on the ride over. From outside the garage, they could hear the sounds of men at work. Typing on a computer, tightening a nut, and revving of an engine.

"Something's still wrong," an older man said as he climbed off a chunky white D-Wheel. He scratched his chin, looking towards his son.

"Something is still wrong with the program," he said, typing away at the laptop without looking up.

"Hard at work?" a woman said, bringing the two glasses of lemonade. "What's the problem?"

"The engine is still underpowered," the man said before taking a long drink from his glass. "There's nothing wrong with the parts, so it must be something in the computer, but we can't seem to find what it is."

She looked over her son's shoulder, glanced at the code, then moved him aside. "Honestly, how are we still in business?" Without even the smallest hint of effort, she began to rewrite segments of the program on the fly. "Okay, now try it."

As instructed, her husband revved the engine, the sound making it immediately apparent that that had done the trick. "It was really that simple?" he said with a laugh.

"You've both been working too hard. Let me finish up here."

"You're the boss," he said, patting his son's shoulder and leading him out through the open door. "Looks like we'll be done a day early. That should give us some time to-" He stopped, noticing the two figures standing a short ways off. "Oh, hello there. What can we do for you?"

It was him. The man from Jack's dream stood right before him. From the moment they locked eyes, the air between them turned to pure electricity. Though he knew nothing of the reason the strangers came to his home that day, the man himself could still feel this all the same.

Crow began to speak, but Jack shoved him aside. Stepping forward, he declared, "You! You're Yusei!"

* * *

I never actually intended for this to be more than the one chapter, but the response to it was so large that I figured I might as well since I'm ahead on all my other projects.

For reference, I'd consider this to be set in the same continuity as one other story I wrote called Luster. I don't foresee that actually factoring into this and you'd definitely be able to read one without the other no problem, but if I ever decide to turn things into my expanded post-ARC-V universe, it's good to establish that.

I bet only some of you ever expected to hear about gentrification in your Yugioh stories. It seemed like the natural way the City reunification would play out to me, since prejudice doesn't just evaporate overnight because two dudes played a card game. There's still plenty of people out there ready and willing to take advantage of a restored ground level like that. Hopefully I'm able to stick the landing when it comes to tying together Jack's search for a satisfying and fulfilling future for himself and trying to make the same for the people of the City.

I don't think there's much left to say here. Thanks for reading. Always remember that the Yugioh cafe actually sold a real Blue-Eyes Mountain coffee for 3,000 yen in real life and I'm still bitter because I never got to try it.


	3. The Challenge

_Jack discusses his future with Yusei._

* * *

The family invited Jack and Crow inside, putting out some refreshments onto the coffee table and inviting them to sit on a rather unimpressive and lumpy pink couch. "It's not much." Mrs. Fudo apologized. "We don't usually have guests."

"It's no problem, this is great," Crow said, grabbing a plain rice cracker and a cup of tea.

"Jack," Yusei said from across from the two in a chair, sensing how serious the situation appeared to be. "You said you wanted to duel me. Why?" His mother had taken a seat beside her husband on a second, somehow worse couch, both listening intently to the conversation.

"It began some time ago," he began. "When I was still the King, I walked a path of solitude at the top. No duelist could hope to match my skill. But at the same time, I would dream of a worthy challenger who could possibly overcome my power.

"When I lost my title, I believed that person to be Sakaki Yuya, but even as the rightful King of the City, my dreams never stopped. That's when I knew I was destined to find the man I'd seen and settle this rivalry once and for all. That man's name was Yusei, the same as yours."

He took a moment to ponder this, the only sound in the room being Crow's continual eating. "I see," Yusei said finally.

"I'm asking to duel you. If you can live up to my expectations, I'll offer you a place in the new dueling league that's forming."

"New dueling league?" he repeated. Though his mouth was too full to say anything, Crow looked to Jack, as well, unsure of what he was talking about.

He nodded, explaining, "The last Friendship Cup will be the last in history. The world has changed far too dramatically for something so mundane and outdated to still exist. That's why I plan to bring together the best duelists across all dimensions to form something new. A place we can compete against duelists of the highest caliber regardless of where they might live."

"So you were going to tell me about this later, right?" Crow asked accusingly.

Ignoring him, Jack continued, "Yusei, if you're truly the man I think you are, then you'll easily earn your place among us. Now, will you accept my challenge?"

Yusei thought for a moment, bringing his hands together and placing his chin on top of them. "Jack, I appreciate you coming all the way here to make me this offer. It sounds incredible." He closed his eyes. "However, I can't accept."

"What?" He could feel a rage building inside him.

"I'm sorry. I'm far too busy with my job here. This shop is important to me and my family and I can't simply leave it on such short notice. I hope you understand."

"Well, you can't always get your way," Crow said with a shrug. "Come on, Jack, let's-"

"I refuse!" he shouted, standing up from his seat. Grabbing Yusei by the collar, he began to yell, "You can't walk away now that we're this close! How can you turn down a chance like this just to spend the rest of your life in the middle of nowhere?"

Grabbing Jack's arm, he pushed him away. "I'm sorry, but I made my choice."

"You-" Before he could say or do anything more, Crow had grabbed Jack in a full nelson. "Let go of me!"

"Jack, go outside and cool off!" Breaking free, Jack examined the room, the looks of distress finally breaking through his self-importance and causing him to feel something akin to guilt. Even so, he exited without a word of apology. "Sorry about that. Thanks for having us here. We'll get out of your hair now."

Crow left, as well, leaving the stunned Fudo family behind. "What the hell was that?" he said as he approached Jack. In usual Jack fashion, he ignored him, hopping onto his D-Wheel and riding away. "Don't drive off while I'm talking to you!"

Immediately following him, Crow pushed Blackbird to its limits in order to catch up to Jack. Riding up directly behind him, he pressed a button on his console. Jack's screen sprung to life, alerting him that he'd been challenged to a duel. He scoffed. "Fool." Nevertheless, he accepted the challenge.

Riding up alongside each other, they set the Action Field, Cross Over Accel, into play. As was natural among the two, autopilot was turned off by default. Spotting a lone lamppost on the dusty, deserted road they traveled, they looked to each other knowingly. The first one to pass it would take the first turn. In unison, they declared, "Riding duel...acceleration!"

Both began to speed up, jockeying for position to try and edge out the other for first place. In the end, being nothing more than a straightaway, it came down to power and aggression, both of which Jack had in spades. Crossing the threshold by a hair's breadth, he declared, "I'm taking the first move."

Looking over the cards in his hand, Jack decided on his opening play. "I activate Call Resonator, letting me take a Resonator monster from my deck and add it to my hand." His choice was Red Resonator. "Now, I summon Red Sprinter, then activate its effect to Special Summon Red Resonator from my hand."

"You're not wasting any time, huh?" If Jack was about to summon the monster he thought he was, Crow might be in for some trouble.

Raising his hand into the air, Jack declared, "I'm tuning my Level 2 Red Resonator with my Level 4 Red Sprinter. The crimson souls shall become one. All shall tremble before the king's might! Synchro Summon! Appear, Red Wyvern!" As his monster descended behind his D-Wheel, Jack set a single card. "Turn end."

"My turn, draw!" Crow said. "I guess you're not taking it easy on me if you're already using that card."

"If you can't handle this much, then just surrender and save me the trouble."

"Don't get cocky, former King," he said. "I'll start by summoning Black Feather – Calm the Shimmer. Now, since I have a Black Feather monster on my field, I can Special Summon Black Feather – Oroshi the Squall from my hand." With a grin, he began to rev his engine and speed up. "I'm tuning my Level 1 Black Feather – Oroshi the Squall with my Level 4 Black Feather – Calm the Shimmer. Pitch-black gale, become the tailwind that ties our bonds! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Assault Black Feather – Sohaya the Early-Summer Shower!"

In the midst of his chant, Crow made his move. Jack was looking up to watch his field, giving him ample time to accelerate in front of him, reaching out to grab the Action Card floating above the ground. "Where are you looking?" he asked mockingly, adding the card to his hand.

Jack grit his teeth but was undeterred. "So what? A monster that weak won't even leave a scratch on Red Wyvern."

"Let's see about that," Crow said. "When it's used as Synchro Material, Oroshi the Squall lets me change a monster's battle position, so Red Wyvern switches to Defense Mode." The spiritual remnants of Oroshi flew from Crow's Graveyard straight into Jack's monster, passing through its chest and causing it to recoil.

"I'm not done yet. I equip Sohaya the Early-Summer Shower with this card, Spinning Blade of the Trailblazer! Now it gains 800 ATK." Grasping the weapon in its hand, Crow's monster began to spin it. "I can also inflict 400 damage for every monster I used to summon my Synchro Monster once per turn." Before an attack could even be declared, Jack had lost 800 Life Points. He was far from intimidated, though.

"Battle! Sohaya, attack Jack's Red Wyvern!" The bird being flew in for a strike, only to have it bounce off harmlessly.

"Trap Card, Red Crystal! For the rest of the turn, my Red monsters can't be destroyed. Your attack was useless."

"Probably should have figured it wouldn't be that easy," Crow said. "Fine, then. I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"I'm ending it this turn," Jack declared. "Draw!" He grabbed a Magic Card and placed it onto the field. "I activate Red Reborn, letting me summon Red Resonator from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. Since Red Resonator was Special Summoned, I gain the ATK of a Synchro Monster on the field as Life Points." In an instant, Jack had completely reversed the damage Crow managed to inflict, raising his Life to 5600.

"Now, I'm-"

"I don't think so! Trap activate, Dimensional Barrier!" A wave of white light burst forth from the card, seeming to affect both Red Wyvern and Sohaya. "I can declare a certain type of monster when I use this, and for the rest of the turn, neither of us can summon that kind of card or use their effects. I'm picking Synchro Monsters, obviously."

"What?" Jack exclaimed. With a growl, he switched Red Wyvern to Attack Position. "Then I'll just have crush you like this! Red Wyvern, attack!" Despite the boost from before, Jack's monster still held a 100 point advantage over Crow's.

"Action Magic, Evasion!" Sohaya prepared to take Red Wyvern's attack, only to dodge out of the way at the last second and send the monster crashing into the ground. "With this, I can negate your attack."

"I set one card. Turn end." Despite his high Life Points and superior monster, it was clear Jack was on the ropes. If Crow kept up the momentum, there would be a clear path to victory even as soon as the next turn.

Slowing down to match pace, Crow looked to Jack. "Is this how you would have dueled Yusei? Like some kind of goon too blinded by anger to even think of a strategy?" Though he didn't respond, it was clear those words had cut him to the core. "You threw a tantrum because you didn't get what you want. Is that how Jack Atlas carries himself now that he's no longer the King?"

They canceled the duel there, stopping on the side of the road. "You're right," Jack admitted after regaining his composure. "My desires clouded my judgment. If this is how I'm going to act, maybe I didn't deserve the duel to begin with."

"Who knows? But that's in the past now. We've got more important business to deal with back home, so let's not waste more time." Jack nodded, both of them returning to their D-Wheels to head back into the City. It was time to take a more direct approach in contacting the mayor.

That same night, Yusei lay awake in his bed. He tossed and turned, unable to quiet his mind and go to sleep. After several more minutes of trying, he finally gave up. Putting on his boots, he grabbed a blue jacket from his closet and headed downstairs to the garage.

Underneath a white tarp was his personal D-Wheel in his favorite shade of red. Placing the helmet on his head, he rolled it out the open door and up the path towards the street, being careful not to make enough noise to wake his parents. Once far enough away, he got on and started it up.

For many years he'd dreamed of becoming a pro duelist. He loved being a mechanic and working with his parents every day at their business, but he knew his real calling was Duel Monsters. While he would tell himself that there would never be an opportunity for someone like him out there in the world, the former King's arrival today seemed to prove otherwise. Could he really leave everything behind like that, though?

He took several low-speed laps around the area, doing his best not to get too close to any of the other houses dotted about. Before completing another, he noticed his father standing outside his home. Changing course, he drove over to him. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

He only laughed. "No, I was already awake. I wanted some of that cake as a midnight snack. Go park and I'll get us some." Doing as he was told, Yusei returned his D-Wheel to the garage, placing the tarp back overtop and walking back towards the back porch where his father waited.

"Here you go," he said, handing his son a small slice of chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. "Sometimes I can't even imagine how I got to be lucky enough to marry your mother. A computer scientist, an engineer, i _and/i_ a top notch baker? It's absurd."

Yusei had always admired this quality about his parents, how much they both loved to praise the other and show their affection. At the same time, neither of them had ever made him feel unwelcome or unloved for his own difficulty in doing the same.

"Yusei," his father said. "Look up for me. What do you see?"

Swallowing a piece of the cake, Yusei answered literally with, "The sky."

His father chuckled. "That's true. I was more thinking of those stars. Whenever I think about my life, I always look up at them and think of everything that led me to this place."

He paused briefly to collect his thoughts. "Back when you were an infant, we used to live in the City. Both your mother and me were Tops, but that didn't stop us from sympathizing with the Commons. We tried to work from up above to make life better for them. Trying for better wages, more jobs; anything we could think of, but none of it ever seemed to make a difference."

He paused again, looking to Yusei. "One day, we decided we couldn't be a part of that life anymore and left. That's how we got to live here, working for the people the City likes to forget about. It's not always a glamorous or easy life, but it's the one we chose, and when I look up at those stars, it makes me sure it was the right choice."

"Why?" he asked.

"In the City, especially up high, there's too much light pollution to see them." He laughed. "If I was some kind of artist, I might say that's even a metaphor for the City itself. Something like, 'It looks pretty on the surface, but really just obscures the true beauty underneath,' or something. But my point is, it wasn't until we moved out here away from everything that we saw these stars, and that experience alone was everything I needed to be sure I made the right choice."

He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I can't tell you what to do with your life, Yusei, but you need to follow your own path wherever it takes you. Just know that we both support you no matter what you choose, whether it's staying here or moving on."

"I see," Yusei replied. He turned over the thoughts in his head to try and find what he should say next. "Father, I think..."

The following day, Mayor Yeager hurriedly barged through the doors to his lavish office. His lunch meeting had run long, the insurance people getting far too caught up in telling stories of strange claims near the end to let him leave on time. Flopping into his plush chair, he pulled a mirror from out of one of his desk drawers, checking to ensure his hair and makeup were both pristine and perfect. After confirming they were, he put the mirror back and turned his chair to face out the window.

Moments later, the intercom on his desk projected his secretary's voice. "Sir, your 1:00 is here, I think."

"Excellent. Send him in." As the doors opened, Yeager spun around to face his guest (he loved doing that). "Senator Izayoi, it's a pleasure to- Jack Atlas? And..." He thought for a moment. "Corn Hooligan?"

"It's Crow Hogan, you damn clown!" After calming himself, Crow said, "More importantly, we're taking the senator's place today. He did want us to give you these papers, though."

A perplexed Yeager took a folder Crow handed him and set it aside, left hand poised to press the button for building security under the desk if need be. "We need to talk to you about your housing project," Jack said.

"And what about it?" he asked, unable to follow what these two wanted out of him.

"Don't get us wrong," Crow told him, "we think it's great the government's pitching in to help restore things on the ground level. It's just that a lot of us Commons have some problems with how it might turn out."

Leaning forward in his chair, Yeager began to pay attention. "What might that be?"

"There's talk in the City about buying up the newly-renovated land and force the current residents out," Jack continued.

Crow nodded. "They're waiting for your people to do all the hard work of building everything up for them so they can swoop in and turn it all into luxury apartments, or something."

The mayor let out a long sigh, standing up to look out the window himself. "I was afraid this may happen. I told myself that we would work past this as a united City, no longer treating each other as predator and prey."

"We figured that if anyone would listen, it would be you," Crow said. "You got elected because you said you wanted to fight for both sides of this place."

"You told everyone you work your way up from a Commons just as I did," Jack added. "Those are your people, too. This kind of thing can't be allowed to happen."

"You're correct, Mr. Atlas. But there's little I can do right now."

"What?" he spat, his anger starting to flair.

"You're the mayor!" Crow shouted. "Of course you can do something!"

"A mayor is a leader, not a despot," Yeager said, turning back around to face them. "We did away with that when the Administrative Council was dissolved. As such, the most I can do is offer direction and guidance. I don't write the laws." He sighed once more. "The fact is our budget is strapped as it is. Between the housing project and the rebuilding required after Roget's revolt, the City is in a dire state."

"So it's our fault this is happening?" Crow said indignantly.

"You misunderstand," he said. "This isn't an issue of assigning blame, merely the facts. It's taken quite a lot of capital to restore and improve our City, capital that many of the former Tops provide."

Jack grit his teeth. "So you'll look the other way for the sake of money? If that's the issue, why not raise taxes?"

Yeager chuckled. "We already did. I imagine it affected you, as well. 20% income tax increase on the most wealthy citizens, the largest in the City's history. I made quite a few enemies that day by signing the bill."

He returned to his seat once more, folding his hands on his desk. "The fact of the matter is that we are in an extremely precarious situation. If I had to speculate, I'd say even Heartland has an advantage over us economically. We can't afford to push the envelope much further or we risk the richest among us fleeing to somewhere else, taking all the money they invest into the community with them. And when that happens, we would no longer be able to operate."

"So even after all that's happened, we're still living under the thumb of the Tops." Crow banged his fist against the wall in anger. "Damn it!"

"I'm afraid that's correct," Yeager said. "Now that the barrier between Tops and Commons has been torn down, it's only naturally some would want to expand their dominion into the other's territory. If they don't get their way, especially by way of government intervention, it could prove disastrous for all us."

"Then there's nothing you can do," Jack said with contempt.

"I said there's little I can do, not nothing. For right now, I'm looking into measures that would prevent landlords from raising the rent in the worst areas without justifiable cause, but that's all I can manage for the time being. In the end, I believe this battle would be better suited for those like you two."

"You think so?" Crow asked. "I don't know. We're not exactly used to that sort of responsibility."

Jack nodded. "Our talents lie in Duel Monsters, not politics."

"That may be true, but you'd be surprised what the actions of concerned citizens can do. We've all changed enough recently to have learned that lesson." For a clown, Yeager was unexpectedly wise. Jack and Crow both knew now that, if they wanted to prevent the progress the City had made from being swept away because of greed, it would inevitably fall to them and their comrades to save the day.

Leaving the building, the two planned to return to their D-Wheels and find somewhere to plan a resistance strategy. Before they could find the space they'd parked, though, another vehicle drove up beside them and screeched to a halt. The rider lifted his helmet, revealing himself as Yusei.

"Jack," he said. "I thought more about your offer. If you're still interested, I accept your change."

Cracking a smile, Jack chuckled to himself. "I hope you know you won't be able to back out once we start. Do you think you can handle my power?"

"Let's see about that," he said with a grin of his own.

* * *

Cards Used in Order of Appearance

Call Resonator (Resonator Call)  
Normal Spell Card  
Add 1 "Resonator" monster from your Deck to your hand.

Red Resonator  
FIRE  
Level 2  
Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
600 ATK/200 DEF  
If this card is Special Summoned: You can target 1 Synchro Monster on the field; gain LP equal to its ATK.

Red Sprinter  
FIRE  
Level 4  
Fiend/Effect  
1700 ATK/1200 DEF  
If this card is the only monster on the field: You can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Tuner monster from your hand.

Red Wyvern  
FIRE  
Level 6  
Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
2400 ATK/2000 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
Once per turn, during your opponent's turn, if your opponent controls 2 or more monsters with higher ATK than this card: You can target the 1 face-up monster your opponent controls that has the highest ATK (your choice, if tied); destroy that target (this is a Quick Effect).

Black Feather – Calm the Shimmer (Blackwing – Calima the Haze)  
DARK  
Level 4  
Winged Beast/Effect  
600 ATK/1800 DEF  
During your opponent's Battle Phase, if you control no monsters: You can banish this card from the Graveyard, then target 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target, but banish it at the end of the Battle Phase (this is a Quick Effect).

Black Feather – Oroshi the Squall (Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall)  
DARK  
Level 1  
Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect  
400 ATK/600 DEF  
If you control a "Blackwing" monster other than "Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall", you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall" once per turn this way. If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material: You can target 1 monster on the field; change that target's battle position.

Assault Black Feather – Sohaya the Earl-Summer Rain (Assault Blackwing – Sohaya the Rain Storm)  
DARK  
Level 5  
Winged Beast/Synchro/Effect  
1500 ATK/2000 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
If this card is Synchro Summoned using a "Blackwing" monster as Material, it is treated as a Tuner monster while face-up on the field. If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 "Assault Blackwing" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. If this card was sent to the Graveyard this turn: You can banish 1 other "Assault Blackwing - Sohaya the Rain Storm" from your Graveyard; Special Summon this card.

Spinning Blade of the Trailblazer (Charging Blade)  
Equip Spell Card  
Equip only to a Winged Beast-Type Synchro Monster. It gains 800 ATK. Once per turn: You can inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of Synchro Materials used for the Synchro Summon of the equipped monster x 400.

Red Crystal (Red Gem)  
Normal Trap Card  
"Red" monsters cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of this turn.

Red Reborn  
Normal Spell Card  
Target 1 "Red" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.

Dimensional Barrier  
Normal Trap Card  
Declare 1 monster card type (Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Pendulum); for the rest of this turn, neither player can Special Summon monsters of the declared type, also negate the effects of all monsters of that type while they are on the field. You can only activate 1 "Dimensional Barrier" per turn.

Evasion  
Action Spell Card  
When a monster declares an attack: Target that monster; negate the attack.

* * *

While I was writing this chapter, I realized that Jack and Crow have never actually dueled before. And they still kind of haven't, but they came way closer here than in either show they're in. Probably going to keep it that way since Crow's cards all have those long ass names and 50 plays each.

Got a shout out to Aki in this one and some Good Guy Yeager, two of my favorite things. And for anyone worried, Senator Izayoi is most certainly not tied up in a broom closet somewhere. You think either of those fools know how to find a closet?

For anyone who didn't know watching 5D's, Yusei's autistic, so I'm trying to play that up more here with his interactions between people. It makes his character a lot more interesting when you think of it like that.

Short notes this time, so I don't have much of anything else to say. Thanks for reading. Always remember to bribe politicians.


	4. The Duel

_Jack and Yusei face their destiny._

* * *

Yusei and Jack turned onto the highway, Crow following close behind. The streets where fairly empty what with it being the middle of the day, the overcast sky giving everything a somewhat muted, oppressive feeling. Not a one of the trio seemed to notice, though, far too preoccupied with what was about to happen.

"Yusei," Jack said, eyes focused straight ahead. "Don't think I won't use my full power to crush you. We're staking our pride as duelists on the outcome of this match, so I'll show no mercy!"

Yusei nodded across from him. "I feel the same way." At the same time, they each tapped the button to activate Cross Over Accel, initiating the duel as the card overtook the road. In response, the highway began to transform, sectioning itself off into a duel lane and leading the two onto it.

Once it was just the three of them riding on the open road, Yusei looked downward towards the City. It was the first time he'd scene this view since he was a baby. He'd be lying if he said it didn't feel at least a bit familiar.

He could have gotten lost in that view if not for Jack calling his name again. "Prepare yourself!" he declared. In unison, they both announced, "Riding duel...acceleration!"

"The first to take the corner takes the first move, correct?" Yusei asked. Jack nodded, eyes drifting towards his opponent for only a moment before looking straight ahead. He was focused on claiming the first turn as his own, seeing the turn only 30 meters or so ahead of them.

Jack revved his engine, accelerating at what seemed to be far too early a time. What really caught Yusei off guard, however, was when Wheel of Fortune came barreling towards him. Forced to slow down to avoid being rammed, Yusei was pushed out of the inside and easily overtaken by Jack.

With a smirk, he said, "Is that all? Are you too afraid to take me head on?" Yusei grit his teeth, annoyed by the aggressive stunt Jack just pulled. Even so, he understood it was necessary. If he was serious about becoming a pro duelist, he'd have to learn to adapt to this kind of rough play.

"Here I come!" Jack declared. "When I control no monsters, I can summon Red Gargoyle from my hand!" In a burst of fire, Jack's monster took to the field with a roar. "Next, I summon Red Resonator. Since a 'Red' monster was summoned to my field, Red Gargoyle's effect lets me double its Level."

Jack's Tuner gave a small screech as its Level increased by two, only to then tap its tuning fork and begin to glow. "Now, I'm tuning my Level 4 Red Gargoyle with my Level 4 Red Resonator. The heaven and earth shall tremble before the king's might! Let the power of the one and only supreme ruler be carved into your soul! Synchro Summon! The savage soul, Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight!"

It was only the first turn and Jack had managed to effortless summon his ace monster. Seeing it in person was nothing like the glimpses he'd gotten on TV. In a flurry of roars and flames, Red Daemon's sprung to life, flying above Jack's D-Wheel.

"I'll set one card and end my turn," he said. "Don't disappoint me! I expect at least a small amount of entertainment before I win!"

"It's my turn, draw!" Yusei wasn't about to let himself be outdone. He might never get an opportunity like this again, so he resolved to use his full strength right from the start. "I activate One for One, which lets me summon a Level 1 monster from my hand or deck by discarding a monster in my hand." As cost, he sent Level Stealer to the Graveyard. "Appear, Tuning Supporter!"

"Do you think such a pitiful card can defeat my monster?" Jack asked with a smug laugh.

"Not on its own, but when my cards combine their strength, there's nothing we can't overcome. Watch!" He summoned another monster from his hand. "I play Stardust Synchron and activate its effect. When I Normal Summon this card, I can target a monster on my field that has a Level and summon something from my Graveyard with the same Level with its effect negated. I choose the Level 1 Tuning Supporter, letting me summon my Level 1 Level Stealer."

Jack's smirk fell from his face as he began to take things more seriously. It appeared Yusei wasn't just all talk, just as he'd hoped. If he was even half the duelist he'd hoped he was, these plays could only be leading up to one thing. "When I use Tuning Supporter to Synchro Summon, its Level can become 2. I'm tuning my Level 2 Tuning Supporter and my Level 1 Level Stealer with my Level 3 Stardust Synchron."

The miniature dragon knight drew a brilliant blue sword, holding it in the sky as it began to glow. The three Level stars inside it transformed into rings, Yusei's other two monsters flying through them to make a total of six stars. "Sacred wings that command the meteor shower, ride the wind of souls around the world! Synchro Summon! Stardust Charge Warrior!"

From out of a beam of light, Yusei's monster appeared. It spun around once before striking a triumphant pose, then began to glow. "Now, my monsters effects activate. First, when Stardust Synchron is used as Synchro Material, I can send a Level 2 or lower monster from my deck to the Graveyard." His wrist dealer automatically ejected the card for him. "Bolt Hedgehog," he said before placing it in the Graveyard.

"Next, Tuning Supporter allows me to draw a card, as does Stardust Charge Warrior when it's Synchro Summoned." In response, he drew two new cards from his deck. After examining them for a second, he smiled. "I activate the Magic Card, Synchro Cancel. I can use this card to return a Synchro Monster on the field to the Extra Deck."

Jack grit his teeth, looking ahead for an Action Card to stop the return of his monster. To his surprise, however, Yusei had no intention of removing Red Daemon's from the field. "I choose Stardust Charge Warrior," he declared, his own monster fading away just as quickly as it had appeared. "Since all the monsters used as material for its summon are in the Graveyard, I can return them to the field, as well."

"You returned your own monster just to summon back those weaklings?" Jack asked.

"No card is without purpose," Yusei told him. "Now, let me show you the true power of my deck!" His Graveyard began to glow, the Bolt Hedgehog from before rising to the field. "When I control a Tuner, I can summon Bolt Hedgehog from the Graveyard, but it's banished when it leaves the field."

He began to accelerate, riding up alongside Jack. "I'm tuning my Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog, my Level 2 Tuning Supporter, and my Level 1 Level Stealer with my Level 3 Stardust Synchron." Pulling out ahead, Yusei began to chant, "Clustering wishes will be reborn as a deep blue star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Soar, Stardust Dragon Moonlight!"

There it was, the white dragon, its elegant form contrasted beautifully against Red Daemon's rugged appearance. With wings dyed a deep blue, the monster rose up into the sky above its owner. Jack's monster on the other hand seemed to turn around without any command, flying up towards Yusei's with a roar. Before any battle could be declared, the two dragons began to circle at each other in a show of strength.

"So, this is your monster?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Yusei said with a nod, drawing another card off Tuning Supporter's effect. "This is a card my father gave me. He said it's been a part of our family for some time and carries on the will of everyone who's helped us to become who we are." He smiled. "I guess you're not the only one with pride, Jack."

"Then show me the worth of your pride!" he commanded, turning his D-Wheel around to ride in reverse.

"Fine! Stardust Dragon Moonlight, attack! Stardust Sonic!"

"What?" Jack was utterly dumbfounded by this decision, as was Crow from behind. When he'd challenged Yusei like that, he didn't literally mean for him to attack without thinking. "Then if that's the case, I'll use the effect of Red Mirror in my hand to discard itself and return Red Gargoyle. This should make your suicide even quicker!"

As Yusei's monster charged towards the roaring Red Daemon's, its attack seemed to do nothing. Less than nothing, in fact, as it passed through the enemy without even connecting. Fading into a shower of stars, Yusei explained. "If a monster I control would be destroyed by battle, I can release Stardust Dragon Moonlight to negate destruction and damage, then gain 500 Life Points." As he said, his Life Points were not 4500.

Jack simply scoffed. "Why would you go through all the trouble of summoning that card only to waste it in an instant?"

"You'll see," Yusei said. "I set three cards and end my turn. Now, Stardust's effect activates." The stars from before clustered together into the outline of his monster, eventually reforming back into it. "When I use my monster's effect this turn, I can summon it back to the field at the End Phase. Then, I get to draw a card."

"Draw!" Jack declared, taking his card. That monster would be a problem if he didn't get rid of it quickly. Luckily for him, he spotted what he'd need just up ahead. Strategically blocking it from view, Jack leaned down and grabbed the Action Card in the middle of the road without any competition. Looking at it, he smirked, adding it to his hand.

"Yusei, your monster is impressive, but you foolishly allowed it to enter the field with my Red Daemon's. For that, you've only made it suffer." Jack's dragon clenched its right fist, energy surging through the apparatus attached to its forearm. "Once per turn, Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight can destroy all other Special Summoned monsters on the field with equal or less ATK than itself, then inflict 500 damage for each one destroyed." As his monster blasted Yusei's field with fire, he declared, "Absolute Powerflame!"

When the flames ceased, Yusei's monster was gone, though his Life Points hadn't decreased. The glistening stars surrounding him and the smile he wore said everything Jack needed to know. "So, it can prevent destruction by effects, too." As he made the realization, Yusei's Life Points increased to 5000 to confirm it.

"No matter," he declared. "You've left yourself wide open! Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight, direct attack! Scorching Crimson Hell Burning!"

"Trap activate, Call of the Living Dead! I can summon Stardust Synchron back to my field in Attack Mode with this."

Jack was well aware that this was some sort of scheme. Why else would he return such a weak card instead of the one that could block the attack itself? Even so, he pushed forward. "Useless! Red Daemon's continues the attack!"

Intercepting the flames was a simple metal scarecrow, forming an unexpectedly powerful barrier in front of Yusei's monster. "I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, which negates your attack and sets itself back to my field."

"In that case, I activate an Action Magic, Bi-Attack! With this, my monster's ATK is doubled during the Battle Phase!" There was no additional ability granted by that card, just an ATK boost. Yusei couldn't understand why Jack would waste it like that, but it soon became clear when his own Trap was flipped up. "When my monster's attack was negated facing your Attack Mode card, I can use the Trap Counterforce. With this, you take damage equal to the difference in our monsters' ATK."

Yusei's horrified expression was matched only by his D-Wheel's struggle to stay on the road as a torrent of energy blasted into him. In total, it shaved off 4700 Life Points. Normally, this would have been the game all on its own, but Yusei was lucky enough to have increased his Life enough to leave him with a measly 300.

"You still in this, Yusei?" Crow asked, pulling up alongside him as he recovered from the blow. With a small chuckle, he nodded, not ready to give in just yet. "Good to hear," he said, pulling back a bit to continue observing. This was almost as exciting as watching Jack's duel with Yuya.

"I end my turn," Jack declared. "Now return your dragon." As he'd predicted, Stardust returned to the field, allowing Yusei to draw a card. Just as he did, a drop of rain fell onto his visor. More followed shortly after, quickly leading into a downpour.

Though common sense would dictate they postpone the duel, neither combatant dared try to run away. Crow, as well, wouldn't allow himself to be the voice of reason in this situation. They were all enjoying this far too much to stop now.

"Draw!" Yusei said. "I reduce Stardust Dragon Moonlight's Level by 1, letting me summon Level Stealer from my Graveyard. Now, I'm tuning my Level 1 Level Stealer with my Level 3 Stardust Synchron. Synchro Summon! Arms Aid!"

The robotic hand launched itself out of the beam of light ready for battle. "Because of Stardust Synchron's effect, I send Damage Eater to my Graveyard," Yusei explained. Knowing Jack's best monster as he did, this would likely be helpful to have on hand. If only he'd have predicted what would happen last turn, though. "I activate Arms Aid's effect, equipping itself to Stardust Dragon Moonlight and raising its ATK by 1000."

The machine flew through the air, cutting through the rain before Yusei's dragon lodged its hand inside it, brandishing its mechanical enhancement with a roar. Before declaring an attack, Yusei began to speed up. Though it appeared as just a bit of flourish to add to the battle, it was really to match pace with Jack as their eyes both fell onto the card in the distance.

It was only a corner away. The two riders came as close to each other as possible without crashing, leaving mere millimeters of space between their vehicles. Jack was in the better position, however, as his position on the inside allowed him to round the corner first so long as they both kept pace with each other. It seemed like a lost cause on Yusei's part facing down such a fearless opponent.

As such, he slowed down and took a position behind Jack. "You've resigned yourself to failure, have you?" he said mockingly. To his shock, Yusei began to accelerate once again, the corner only a few seconds away. Where did he plan to go, though?

That question would be answered in spectacular fashion, Yusei jumping his D-Wheel over the highway barrier. Jack and Crow could only stare in amazement as he sailed overhead, landing in front of Jack due to his shortcut and snatching the Action Card.

With a laugh, Jack declared, "There, that's it! That's exactly why I had to duel you! There's no one else alive like you! You're a true challenge like no other, Yusei!"

"Action Magic, Full Turn!" Yusei felt the same way. This was the most exhilarating duel of his life. The strangest part was that he felt as if this was how it had always been, dueling Jack at his best, matching each other's strategies blow for blow. Despite only having met yesterday, he could feel a connection with him like none other.

"This card doubles any battle damage we take this turn," he explained. "Battle! Stardust Dragon Moonlight, attack Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight! Stardust Sonic!" Yusei's monster reared back, blasting a ray of blue, shimmering moonlight from its mouth.

Jack, however, was undeterred. "From my hand, I activate the effect of Brutal Red. If my 'Red' monster would be destroyed this turn, I can discard this card to prevent that from happening, then increase its ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn."

In an instant, Yusei's position was once again reversed. Red Daemon's ATK now overtook Stardust's by 500, forcing him to activate its effect and spare destruction. Despite gaining 500 Life Points out of the deal, he still lost Arms Aid for nothing. Reluctantly, he ended his turn after setting both a monster and a Trap, summoning Stardust in Defense Position.

"You couldn't have expected it to be that easy to defeat my soul!" Jack said as he began his turn. "The only person who's been able to overcome this card before was Sakaki Yuya. What chance do you have to match his skill?" He posed it more as a request to see more of what Yusei could do than a simple question.

"I activate Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight's effect," he declared.

Naturally, Yusei responded by releasing Stardust. "Starlight Sanctuary!"

"Foolish," Jack said, playing a card from his hand. "I activate Crimson Hell Secure! When I control Red Daemon's, I destroy all your Magic and Trap Cards!" Yusei was forced to watch as both his Traps (plus the spent Call of the Living Dead) where blown away. Spirit Force would have been useful, but what he was most disappointed at squandering was Stardust Barrier. He could have avoided the situation entirely had he used that instead of saving it.

He could only watch helplessly as Jack's monster obliterated his set Speed Warrior. Stardust would return at the End Phase, allowing him to draw a card once again. At least it was something useful.

As he began his turn, Yusei grabbed a monster, the rain growing even more intense. It was getting difficult for him to even see where he was driving, relying on Jack's exhaust ahead of him and the belief that the road would remain mostly straight for the time being.

Still, he pressed on. "I summon Stardust Chronicler," he declared, a small wizard garbed in robes matching the Stardust color scheme rising to his field. "When this monster is Normal Summoned, I can summon a Tuner and a non-Tuner in my Graveyard, but their effects cannot be activated this turn. Additionally, I can only use them to Synchro Summon a 'Stardust' monster."

"Gather together as many weak monsters as you like. Red Daemon's effect will destroy each of them!"

Yusei ignored Jack's declaration, continuing his turn. "I'm tuning my Level 2 Stardust Chronicler and my Level 1 Tuning Supporter with my Level 3 Stardust Synchron! Synchro Summon! Return, Stardust Charge Warrior!" Though he wouldn't be able to use either Synchron or Tuning Supporter, Charge Warrior's draw effect would still allow him another card.

Next, he played a new Magic Card. "Dual Summon, activate. I'm allowed another Normal Summon this turn now, and I'll use it to play Turbo Synchron!" His Tuner would disappear almost as soon as it arrived. "I'm tuning my Level 6 Stardust Charge Warrior with my Level 1 Turbo Synchron! Clustering wishes will join together to awaken a new realm of speed! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! The power of unity, Synchro Tuner, Shooting Riser Dragon!"

A second white dragon? Where did that come from? Thinking back to his dream, there may have been another on the horizon, but it couldn't have been this. The Synchro Tuner was much smaller. Wait, a Synchro Tuner?

"Shooting Riser Dragon's effect activates when I Synchro Summon it, letting me send a monster to the Graveyard from my deck to decrease its Level by the Level of what I send. My choice will be the Level 5 Quick Synchron."

As engrossed as he was in the duel, Jack had accidentally driven onto a side path. He remembered this unfinished stretch of road, though Crow's shouts to the two of them had certainly helped jog his memory. "Yusei, we need to stop. The highway ends here."

But he didn't hear him. To Yusei, the only path ahead was forward. He'd stopped watching Jack to see where to ride, now focused on Shooting Riser Dragon and its luminescent trail of stars that cut a path through the rain and inky darkness.

"Yusei!" Jack said again. "I won't let you pass me! You can't continue!" Jack extended the accelerator on Wheel of Fortune, preparing for the jump if necessary while swerving from side to side to prevent any passing. Even still, Yusei didn't seem to notice.

"I'm tuning my Level 8 Stardust Dragon Moonlight with my Level 2 Shooting Riser Dragon!" he declared, his speed continually increasing. He was still far too slow to reach the other side, though. Jack made sure of that.

That is, until Yusei pulled off the unthinkable once again. Clearing his mind, he drove entirely on instinct, revving the engine and driving along the side of the barriers. Jack pulled over to try and prevent him from driving along the edge, but it didn't matter. Rather than try to drive over them, Yusei simply used them to boost himself through the air, climbing over Wheel of Fortune's wing extension and landing in front of Jack once again.

"Damn it!" Jack declared, having no choice but to speed up with the road vanishing before the two.

Despite his best efforts, Jack simply couldn't overtake Yusei again. His D-Wheel continued to increase in speed, becoming a blur among the rain as he declared, "Gathering power that dwells inside my fist, transform into a will that can shatter even steel! Become the path its light shines upon!"

Jack launched himself across the void in a burst of speed, reaching the other side and regaining his stability shortly after. He looked side to side and behind him, catching neither sight nor sound of Yusei. Crow, too, was completely lost seeing the duel from a third party position. From where he was, it looked as though Yusei just completely vanished before they made the jump.

Suddenly, Red Daemon's began to roar. A second later, there he was in front of Jack once again. Another second of pure silence followed, then a boom. "Accel Synchro! Appear, Stardust Warrior!" In an instant, the rainstorm had been blow away, sun shining down from above to welcome the appearance of Yusei's newest monster.

"Accel Synchro..." Jack repeated. His look of confusion quickly turned to one of elation. "Yusei, you're truly an interesting duelist. Now, show me what that monster can do!"

"Right!" he answered. "First, I activate the card Stardust Shimmer. I target the Stardust Dragon Moonlight in my Graveyard, then banish monsters that equal its Level to summon it back to my field. I'll use Stardust Charge Warrior and Speed Warrior to match Level 8, letting me bring back my dragon."

Both Stardust Warrior and Dragon followed Yusei now, poised to attack. "Battle! Stardust Warrior, attack Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight! Stardust Soul Fist!" The jets on his monster's back roared to life, launching it forward with its fist cocked back. Jack's monster did the same, performing an epic cross-counter against one another.

The fight ended in mutual destruction, both monsters leaving the field. "When Stardust Warrior is destroyed by battle," Yusei explained, "I'm allowed to summon a 'Warrior' Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck. Appear, Junk Warrior!" His second monster crashed into the ground, fists brandished as its scarf flapped in the wind. Stardust roared to commemorate its appearance.

Jack wouldn't take defeat lying down, however. His controls still extended, he accelerated just as he had before to cross the gap. "What?" Yusei was forced to move to one side as Jack came screaming forward. Wheel of Fortune was unable to sustain this kind of speed for long, though, as the engine was at risk of giving out. It was long enough to force his way into the lead, though. More importantly, it got him an Action Card.

"Action Magic, Full Cowl! All damage is halved until the end of this turn." A setback to be sure, but far from fatal. Yusei used his next two attacks to inflict 2400 damage on Jack, dropping him to 1600 Life Points. Setting three cards, he ended his turn.

Jack began his turn, pleased with the card he'd drawn. "I activate Red Reborn, letting me return Red Daemon's to the field. Next, I activate its effect to destroy your monsters!"

"I release Stardust Dragon Moonlight to negate your effect. Starlight Sanctuary!" Yusei's Life Points increased to 1800, but he wasn't done yet. "When I release a 'Stardust' monster as a cost, I can banish Stardust Barrier from my Graveyard to increase my Life Points equal to its ATK." Another 2500 put him up to 4300.

"I activate the card Pot of the Crimson Devil Dragon," Jack said in response. "While I control Red Daemon's, I can draw two new cards." He did as such, immediately playing one of them to his field. "Now, I summon Chain Resonator! If a Synchro Monster is on the field when this card is Normal Summoned, I'm able to summon another 'Resonator' from my deck. My choice is Barrier Resonator."

Crow could already see what was happening, though Yusei appeared oblivious. "Yusei, you've shown me one of the most entertaining duels of my life. As a reward, I'll allow you to view my monster's highest evolution! I'm double tuning my Level 8 Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight with my Level 1 Chain Resonator and Level 1 Barrier Resonator!"

The rings inherent to Synchro Summoning caught fire, Red Daemon's flying through them with a roar. "Ruler and Devil, they cross paths here and now! Touch the soul of the Crimson Dragon and raise up the cry of creation! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 10, Red Daemon's Dragon Tyrant!"

Almost as soon as Yusei was beginning to feel confident in his chance at victory, Jack turned the tables. His newest behemoth dwarfed the original Red Daemon's in power and scale, eclipsing the sun from where it flew in the sky. "Red Daemon's Dragon Tyrant, use your effect! Once per turn, I can incinerate every card on the field besides itself! Absolute Power Inferno!"

Red Daemon's smashed its fist into the road, shockwaves of red energy riding out along the field. Junk Warrior burned up instantly, the set Guard Block and Synchro Overlimit being taken next. However, Yusei wouldn't allow his final defense to go so easily. "I use Half Shut! One monster on the field becomes unable to be destroyed by battle this turn, buts its ATK is also halved until the End Phase.

Even so, this would only slow Jack down. "Useless!" he declared. "Red Daemon's Dragon Tyrant, direct attack! Infernal Crimson Hell Tide!" Yusei made a desperate grab for an Action Card as it went by, Jack not even bothering to take it for himself. He managed to nab it right before the attack connected, playing it instantly.

"Action Magic, Evade! I'll negate Red Daemon's attack."

"I told you before, it's useless! When Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight attacks, I negate any Magic Cards and increase its ATK by 500!" In the end, all he'd managed to do was hurt himself worse. Though 1550 Life Points was hardly bad, it meant little when staring down such a powerful monster.

Before Jack ended his turn, he activate the card Resonator Engine, returning the Tuners he'd used for his monster's summon and adding Red Gardna to hand. Now even destruction effects wouldn't work against the beast. The only solace Yusei had was the draw afforded by Stardust, though it proved to be of little use. Jack could simply wipe the field again next turn and attack over anything he set for defense.

This game wasn't lost, though. With as many cards as he'd gone through this game, there was a better than average chance of drawing the one he needed. If he could just draw _that_ card, Yusei thought, he'd be able to win. Placing a hand on his deck, he drew his final card. "Draw!"

He took a moment before looking at it, turning the card over to reveal its identity. With a smile, he exhaled the breath he'd been holding in. "My deck responded," he said. Speeding up, he threw down his card. "I activate Stardust Revival Exchange," he said. "I return a 'Stardust' monster from my field to the Extra Deck, then summon one with a different Level from either my Extra Deck or Graveyard. At the end of this turn, though, my monster is destroyed."

"Then you'll bet the result on one last monster," Jack said with a smirk. "Come! Red Daemon's Dragon Tyrant will gladly destroy anything you wish to challenge me with!"

"I return the Level 8 Stardust Dragon Moonlight to summon the Level 10 Stardust Warrior from my Graveyard!" Back at last, the warrior was already prepared for a fight with the dragon. "Stardust Warrior, attack! Stardust Soul Fist!"

Jack scoffed. "A puny attack! Red Daemon's, counter with Infernal Crimson Hell Tide!" Jack's monster blasted Stardust Warrior with a beam of red fire, its fist doing little to stem the force of the attack. Not until Yusei played his final card.

"From my hand, I activate Rush Warrior!" Discarding the card filled Stardust Warrior with a newfound energy, slowly pushing through the assault. "This card doubles my 'Warrior' Synchro Monster's ATK during battle, placing Stardust Warrior at 6000 ATK!"

"Impossible!" Jack exclaimed, but it was right before his eyes. This was a monster effect, making it immune to Red Daemon's negation. It was far too late to search for an Action Card, either. Breaking through the flames, Stardust Warrior landed a solid hit to his dragon's jaw, blasting it to pieces in a shower of stars. Yusei had won.

* * *

Cards Used in Order of Appearance

Red Gargoyle  
FIRE  
Level 4  
Fiend/Effect  
1200 ATK/1400 DEF  
If you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If another "Red" monster(s) is Normal or Special Summoned to your field: You can make the Level of that monster(s) become double its current Level.

Red Resonator  
FIRE  
Level 2  
Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
600 ATK/200 DEF  
If this card is Special Summoned: You can target 1 Synchro Monster on the field; gain LP equal to its ATK.

Red Daemon's Dragon Scarlight (Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend)  
DARK  
Level 8  
Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
3000 ATK/2500 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
Once per turn: You can destroy as many Special Summoned monsters on the field as possible with ATK less than or equal to this card's (other than this card), then inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster destroyed.

One for One  
Normal Spell Card  
Send 1 monster from your hand to the GY; Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.

Level Stealer (Level Eater)  
DARK  
Level 1  
Insect/Effect  
600 ATK/0 DEF  
If this card is in your Graveyard: You can target 1 Level 5 or higher monster you control; reduce its Level by 1, and if you do, Special Summon this card. This face-up card on the field cannot be Tributed, except for a Tribute Summon.

Tuning Supporter (Tuningware)  
LIGHT  
Level 1  
Machine/Effect  
100 ATK/300 DEF  
This card can be treated as a Level 2 monster when used for a Synchro Summon. If this card is sent to the Graveyard for a Synchro Summon: Draw 1 card.

Stardust Synchron  
WIND  
Level 3  
Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
1300 ATK/500 DEF  
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 monster you control that has a Level; Special Summon 1 monster from your GY with the same Level as that target in Defense Position, but it has its effects negated. If this card is sent to the GY as a Synchro Material: You can send 1 Level 2 or lower monster from your Deck to the GY. You can only use each effect of "Stardust Synchron" once per turn.

Stardust Charge Warrior  
WIND  
Level 6  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
2000 ATK/1300 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can draw 1 card. You can only use this effect of "Stardust Charge Warrior" once per turn. This card can attack all Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls, once each.

Bolt Hedgehog (Quillbolt Hedgehog)  
EARTH  
Level 2  
Machine/Effect  
800 ATK/800 DEF  
If this card is in your Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. You must control a Tuner monster to activate and to resolve this effect.

Synchro Cancel (De-Synchro)  
Normal Spell Card  
Target 1 Synchro Monster on the field; return that target to the Extra Deck, then, if all of the monsters that were used for the Synchro Summon of that monster are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon all of them.

Stardust Dragon Moonlight  
WIND  
Level 8  
Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
2500 ATK/2000 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters  
(Quick Effect) When a card(s) on the field would be destroyed by a card effect: You can Tribute this card; negate that destruction, and if you do, gain 500 LP. (Quick Effect) If a monster you control would be destroyed by battle (including this card): You can Tribute this card; negate that destruction and any battle damage, and if you do, gain 500 LP. During the End Phase, if this card was Tributed by its own effect this turn and that effect was not negated: You can Special Summon this card from your GY and draw 1 card.

Red Mirror  
FIRE  
Level 1  
Fiend/Effect  
0 ATK/0 DEF  
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard, then target 1 "Red" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

Call of the Living Dead (Call of the Haunted)  
Continuous Trap Card  
Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon that target in Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that target. When that target is destroyed, destroy this card.

Bi-Attack (Double Attack)  
Action Spell Card  
Target 1 monster on the field; its ATK becomes double its current ATK during each Battle Phase this turn.

Scrap-Iron Scarecrow  
Normal Trap Card  
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, also, after that, Set this card face-down instead of sending it to the GY.

Counterforce  
Normal Trap Card  
When a monster's attack is negated that targeted a face-up Attack Position monster: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the difference in ATK between the 2 monsters.

Arms Aid (Armory Arm)  
LIGHT  
Level 4  
Machine/Synchro/Effect  
1800 ATK/1200 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
Once per turn, you can either: Target 1 monster on the field; equip this card to that target, OR: Unequip this card and Special Summon it in Attack Position. While equipped by this effect, that target gains 1000 ATK. If that target destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster in the Graveyard.

Damage Eater  
DARK  
Level 2  
Fiend/Effect  
100 ATK/800 DEF  
During your opponent's turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect that would inflict damage, you can remove from play this card in your Graveyard to change that effect so it increases Life Points by the same amount instead.

Full Turn  
Action Spell Card  
This turn, any battle damage either player takes from battles involving 2 monsters is doubled.

Brutal Red  
FIRE  
Level 3  
Dragon/Effect  
1000 ATK/1000 DEF  
During either player's turn, if exactly 1 "Red" monster you control (and no other cards) would be destroyed by battle or card effect: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; until the end of this turn, that target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, also that target gains 1000 ATK.

Crimson Hell Secure (Scarlet Security)  
Normal Spell Card  
If you control a "Red Dragon Archfiend" monster: Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls.

Spirit Force  
Normal Trap Card  
During your opponent's turn, at damage calculation: Make the battle damage you take from this battle 0, then you can add 1 Warrior-Type Tuner monster with 1500 or less DEF from your Graveyard to your hand.

Stardust Barrier  
Normal Trap Card  
When a "Stardust" monster(s) you control would be destroyed this turn, draw 1 card instead. When you Tribute a "Stardust" monster to activate its own effect: You can banish this card from your GY; gain LP equal to that monster's original ATK.

Speed Warrior  
WIND  
Level 2  
Warrior/Effect  
900 ATK/400 DEF  
Once per Battle Phase, if this card was Normal Summoned this turn (except during the Damage Step): You can make its ATK become double its original ATK, until the end of the Battle per Battle Phase, if this card was Normal Summoned this turn (except during the Damage Step): You can make its ATK become double its original ATK, until the end of the Battle Phase.

Stardust Chronicler  
WIND  
Level 2  
Spellcaster/Effect  
800 ATK/500 DEF  
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Tuner and 1 non-Tuner monster in your GY; Special Summon them in Defense Position, but their effects cannot be activated this turn and they cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Stardust" Synchro Monster.

Dual Summon (Double Summon)  
Normal Spell Card  
You can conduct 2 Normal Summons/Sets this turn, not just 1.

Turbo Synchron  
WIND  
Level 1  
Machine/Tuner/Effect  
100 ATK/500 DEF  
When this card declares an attack: You can change the attack target to Defense Position. When you take battle damage while this card is attacking: You can Special Summon 1 monster from your hand with ATK less than or equal to the battle damage you took.

Shooting Riser Dragon  
WIND  
Level 7  
Dragon/Synchro/Tuner/Effect  
2100 ATK/1700 DEF  
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters  
If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can send 1 monster from your Deck to the GY, whose Level is lower than this card's on the field, and if you do, reduce this card's Level by that monster's, but for the rest of this turn, you cannot activate the effects of monsters with the same name the sent monster had in the GY. You can only use this effect of "Shooting Riser Dragon" once per turn. Once per Chain, during your opponent's Main Phase, you can (Quick Effect): Immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon using this card you control.

Quick Synchron (Quickdraw Synchron)  
WIND  
Level 5  
Machine/Tuner/Effect  
700 ATK/1400 DEF  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by sending 1 monster from your hand to the Graveyard. For a Synchro Summon, you can substitute this card for any 1 "Synchron" Tuner monster. Cannot be used as a Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of a monster that lists a "Synchron" monster as a Tuner.

Stardust Warrior  
WIND  
Level 10  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
3000 ATK/2500 DEF1 Tuner Synchro Monster + 1 or more non-Tuner Synchro Monsters  
During either player's turn, if your opponent would Special Summon a monster(s): You can Tribute this card; negate the Summon, and if you do, destroy that monster(s). During the End Phase, if this effect was activated this turn (and was not negated): You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. If this card is destroyed by battle, or if this face-up card you control leaves the field because of an opponent's card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 8 or lower "Warrior" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Synchro Summon.)

Stardust Shimmer  
Normal Spell Card  
Select 1 Dragon-Type Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Remove from play other monsters in your Graveyard whose total Levels equal the Level of the selected monster and Special Summon it from the Graveyard.

Junk Warrior  
DARK  
Level 5  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
2300 ATK/1300 DEF  
"Junk Synchron" + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
If this card is Synchro Summoned: It gains ATK equal to the total ATK of all Level 2 or lower monsters you currently control.

Full Cowl  
Action Spell Card  
This turn, any damage either player takes is halved.

Red Reborn  
Normal Spell Card  
Target 1 "Red" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.

Pot of the Crimson Devil Dragon (Red Dragon Vase)  
Normal Spell Card  
Activate only while you control a face-up "Red Dragon Archfiend" monster. Draw 2 cards.

Chain Resonator  
LIGHT  
Level 1  
Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
100 ATK/100 DEF  
When this card is Normal Summoned while a Synchro Monster is on the field: You can Special Summon 1 "Resonator" monster from your Deck, except "Chain Resonator".

Barrier Resonator  
LIGHT  
Level 1  
Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
300 ATK/800 DEF  
During either player's turn: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard, then target 1 Tuner monster you control; this turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle, also you take no battle damage from attacks involving it.

Red Daemon's Dragon Tyrant (Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend)  
DARK  
Level 10  
Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
3500 ATK/3000 DEF  
2 Tuners + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
Once per turn: You can destroy all other cards on the field. When this card declares an attack, if a Spell/Trap Card is activated: You can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card, then this card gains 500 ATK (this is a Quick Effect).

Guard Block (Defense Draw)  
Normal Trap Card  
During your opponent's turn, at damage calculation: Make the battle damage you take from this battle 0, and if you do, draw 1 card.

Synchro Overlimit  
Normal Trap Card  
Activate only when a Synchro Monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle. It can attack once again this turn. If it does, destroy it after damage calculation.

Half Shut  
Quick-Play Spell Card  
Target 1 face-up monster on the field; it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, but its ATK is halved until the End Phase.

Resonator Engine  
Normal Spell Card  
Target 2 "Resonator" monsters in your Graveyard; add 1 Level 4 monster from your Deck to your hand, and if you do, return those targets to the Deck.

Red Gardna  
FIRE  
Level 4  
Fiend/Effect  
0 ATK/2000 DEF  
During either player's turn: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; this turn, monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects.

Evasion  
Action Spell Card  
When a monster declares an attack: Target that monster; negate the attack.

Stardust Revival Exchange  
Spell Card  
Target 1 "Stardust" Synchro Monster you control; return it to the Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 "Stardust" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck or Graveyard with a different Level from that target, but destroy it during the End Phase of this turn (destruction cannot be negated).

Rush Warrior  
WIND  
Level 2  
Warrior/Effect  
300 ATK/1200 DEF  
During damage calculation (in either player's turn), if a "Warrior" Synchro Monster you control battles an opponent's monster: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; your battling monster's ATK becomes double its current ATK during that damage calculation only. You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 "Synchron" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Rush Warrior" once per turn.

* * *

Was going to try and put these on a weekly schedule, but I kind of want to be done with this story, so I'm not doing that. Really want that sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with finishing something besides a oneshot, like when you grind for 40 hours in EA's Star Wars: Gameblefront II to unlock Darth Vader.

I think the hardest part of this whole thing was figuring out what the new Stardust should do. Had to be able to step with Scarlight and be worth using in a more modern meta. Pretty happy with how it turned out having that parallel of the life gain and giving you a ton of pluses for using it, which meshes well with Yusei's stuff/Synchron decks overall. Still not 100% on the name, but I'll say it's a covert reference to Aki.

I briefly considered Yusei sticking to a purely Stardust deck to mirror how Jack switched to a Red deck for ARC-V, but that didn't feel right. His whole persona is based around bringing people together that are considered weak and useless and combining them into something strong, so it wouldn't be right to have a mono-archetype deck as opposed to his random collection of cards with compatible effects like in the original. Still added a few new cards for the Stardust theme, though. And I got to steal a manga card.

That's all I've got for now. Next time is the finale. Thanks for reading. Always remember to perform dangerous motorcycle stunts in the middle of your card games.


	5. The Future

_The boys talk to the mayor about their future together._

* * *

It was another busy day for Mayor Yeager. Two lunch meetings capped off the morning filled with paperwork and talks with advisers. More and more people were voicing the same issues Jack and Crow had brought to him last week, the two almost being a calm before the storm. He'd have no choice but to make some sort of public statement in the near future.

That would only make things worse if he couldn't find a way to balance his genuine sympathies with the former Commons and the necessary middle-of-the-road centrism politicians had to adopt in order to appear impartial and fair (regardless of how unfair that kind of position was in most situations). All this stress was starting to take its toll, both his wife and child having commented on the amount of sleep he'd been losing. This transition period would be difficult for anyone, but for a politician that actually retained a shred of humanity? It was like trying to dam a river with a single twig.

Of course, this was only the beginning of his troubles, Jack busting through the doors without warning once more. "Jack, Crow, welcome," he said, not even bothering with his usual upbeat veneer, letting every ounce of exhaustion shine through. He did perk up a bit upon noticing a third among them. "Oh, you've brought a friend this time. How nice."

Stepping forward, he bowed to the mayor. "My name is Fudo Yusei. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Oh, this one is respectful," he said. "Yes, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, what would be the reason you three have decided to barge into my office today?"

"We're sorry for coming unannounced," Yusei said, Jack and Crow both silently a bit miffed that their friend had managed to get off to such a good start with the mayor, making them both look kind of like chumps. "We wanted to talk to you about the land and development issues again."

"I should have known," he said, resisting the urge to pour himself a drink. "So, what do you have for me today? Have you made any progress in the areas we talked about last time."

"Kind of," Crow said with a bit of hesitance. "We've tried spreading the word and getting people involved, but no one is really sure of what to do. Half of them are just hopeless and complacent, but the other half are getting mad without any direction." Switching gears, he then added enthusiastically, "But what we've really got is a plan!"

"Right!" Jack declared, pointing a thumb to his chest. "I, Jack Atlas, will buy every neighborhood on the ground floor!" A long, heavy silence filled the room, Jack grinning like a fool at just how smart he was.

"That was your plan the whole time?" Crow screamed, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him around.

"You hadn't even discussed it before coming here?" Yeager added, nearly ready to pull his hair out.

"No, this ass said he had a really great plan and that we should just trust him!" He pulled Jack into a headlock, Yusei looking on bewildered from the sidelines.

"It was a surprise!" Jack said, reversing the move. "I couldn't risk anyone ruining my perfect plan by knowing the details too early!"

"But that's a terrible plan!" Yeager told him plainly. "Do you even have the money to do something like that? How would convince so many people to sell the property to you, anyway? This whole thing was a waste of time!"

As three took turns trading barbs, casting blame, and physically assaulting one another, Yusei took his time to think. He'd both lived the situation being discussed and been informed of everything they'd been doing to try and change it. The Commons' homes and living space was in desperate need of renovation and expansion, no one could argue that, but the possibility for exploitation was just too high. And while it was true Jack's plan was just terrible, there should at least be something there worth using. How could he make all of this work together.

Suddenly, his thoughts began to move. In his mind, he visualized the different pieces of the puzzle linked together with a beam of light, traveling from each one and connecting them in a way that made sense. "Together" is what he'd thought of just now. This plan would only work if everyone they had could work together towards a better future.

"Everyone, I've just thought of something." The three paused their squabble to look towards Yusei, Jack setting Yeager down rather than pile driving him into his desk as intended, Crow releasing the stranglehold on Jack's neck he'd taken. "Our plans haven't worked because we're thinking too small. We've ignored the key details of how everything fits together.

"Jack, even if your plan did play out as you wanted, that wouldn't remove the desire some Tops have of developing on cheap land. They'd simply move their destination somewhere you have no reach. Could you really be happy knowing you've just shifted the problem to somewhere else?" Yusei was absolutely right, Jack gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Crow, while we need to mobilize the community for any of this to work, they're also going to need a leader to guide them where they need to go. Right now, you're shirking that duty."

With a sigh, he nodded. "If nothing changes, it'll just be like the riot all over again."

"Mayor Yeager, while you're trying to help in your own way, both in repairing the community from the neglect placed on it before and stopping the harm coming to its residents now, you're reluctant to be proactive or attack the root of the problem." He couldn't argue with that. "But I think I've found a way that we can all use our ideas in a better way."

He walked towards the window that overlooked the City, arranging his next words in his head to be sure of what he wanted to say. "Jack, your idea made me remember some theories I'd read in the past. Instead of just one person owning a community, though, the community itself would come together to collectively work on itself."

He turned back to them. "We could convince everyone to pool their resources. Secure their homes and businesses against people looking to buy them out and take a greater interest in local leadership to decide what they want to allow. But to do that, we'll need your leadership, Crow."

Crow chuckled, scratching his head now that it was obvious he couldn't dodge responsibility. "You're right. I've always just thought of myself as a normal guy trying to help the people close to me. But, even if I didn't mean for it, I've got a lot of power among people like us, so I've got to use it well."

"While new development shouldn't stop," he continued, "Mayor Yeager, there needs to be more of a voice for the Commons in your decisions. I understand you want to help, but making decisions only based on what you and others who sympathize with us feel will only lead to problems." The mayor nodded in response. "And, most importantly, we'll have to solve the issue of those wishing to use the new development selfishly."

"How do we do that?" Crow asked.

"There are a few options," he explained, "but they all come back to the mayor's office." Despite the ever-growing pit in his stomach, Yeager continued to listen. "The Commons' neighborhoods didn't get to be how they are overnight. Generations of neglect did this with those in power looking the other way when they could have changed things."

He raised his index finger. "First, we'll need you to ensure that the new housing being built now stays affordable to the people who need it most in addition to the changes made to rent you three discussed previously." Extending his middle finger, he continued, "Second, we need to make it less profitable to neglect those who currently live there. This would mean fining or taxing the institutions that own the places we rent if they're responsible for the blight that's made so much of our communities so destitute."

Sticking up his ring finger, he then said, "Third, we'll need to give them a new place to develop."

"Isn't that simply moving the problem, like you said before?" Jack asked.

He shook his head. "It could be, but not like this. Instead of moving them to poor neighborhoods, we bring their plans back to the City itself."

"I don't follow," Crow said.

"Mayor Yeager, isn't it true that not everywhere above the ground is as densely packed as where we are now? That certain areas of the City are places Tops have abandoned, too?"

He thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose that's true," he answered, thinking back to different sections of the city that had become less trendy or more of a hassle to live that had been or currently were being moved away from. "What would be your point?"

"The people who wish to develop land won't simply disappear if we can protect our neighborhoods. The better option would be to give them somewhere new to do that."

"I see your point," Yeager said, "but I'm not sure what you're getting at. These places are already developed. How could they be redeveloped? More importantly, why would the former Tops suddenly decide to move back there?"

Yusei nodded. "Exactly. It won't be Tops moving back there. It would be the Commons." It was like a jolt of electricity flashed through the room.

"You can't be serious," Yeager said, rubbing around his neck as he felt the proverbial noose tighten just considering that possibility. "How could that even work? Rent and property taxes are simply too high, and the neighbors would be out for blood. My blood."

"It would require lowering rents and making more affordable housing within the City, just as with the renovations. You could employ many of the same strategies in order to encourage people to move there."

"I think I get what you're saying," Crow said with a nod. "Plus, it would mean no one was being forced to leave or stay if they didn't want to. It's opening up options for everyone. Live on the ground or up in the sky. Everyone's got the chance to pick."

"It wouldn't simply break down the barriers between Tops and Commons, it would almost make them meaningless," Jack added.

"That's right," Yusei said. "This would only be the start, too. Opening up movement between the different areas of the City would mean more jobs for the poor, better resources, more opportunities. Even the overcrowding problems that would still exist after the renovations wouldn't be as large of an issue. All the while, the gap between Tops and Commons would close in every way until we truly are one City."

Yusei held his hand out. "None of this can work unless we all vow to do our parts. For me, I'll start spreading the word among those on the outskirts and be here to help however I can."

Crow placed his hand on top of Yusei's. "I'll be there to lead them when they catch up."

Jack did the same after that. "I'll use my resources and connections to convince others to move in this way."

They then looked to Yeager who appeared to be on the verge of panic. He undoubtedly agreed with all they'd proposed, but what would be the cost? Not even monetarily, but to his reputation? These were big changes happening so fast. There'd no doubt be blowback from all sides no matter what he chose to do. What was the right move to make?

With a sigh, he decided to jump in. He'd made peace with the fact he may not get a second term after the tax increase. Why not go all in and be done with it? "You've won me over," he conceded, placing his hand on top of theirs. "I'll use my position as mayor to start things on their path. It will be a hard fight, but if the three of you are as determined in the future as you are now, I believe it will be a fight we can win."

The specifics would have to be worked out first. It was no exaggeration to say that this would take quite a while to successfully pull off. They were determined, though. This was their City. They wanted to make it better, not simply ignore the problems that had been building under the surface.

Only time would tell whether their solutions would work out. If nothing else, though, they resolved to be the light that would guide this place to a brighter future.

* * *

Finally made it to the end. It was a fun journey.

I did a lot more research into how to fight gentrification than I originally intended, meaning I was exposed to some real ass logic about why it's secretly a good thing and all those poors need to stop complaining in the process. I deserve at least one or two comments for my sacrifice.

Keep in mind these are mainly theories, i.e. not universal solutions to everything but just a distillation of good ideas that may or may not work with the world we're presented in ARC-V. Plans may and likely will change and adapt if I bring this up in future stories as the characters themselves grow in relation to their new roles as community leaders.

I think that'll be all from this stuff for the time being. I've got plenty of other ideas as I've mentioned before (like setting up that dueling league), but I'm taking a break from any of them for now. There's other stories to focus on that you can read right now. I even posted the first chapter of one today (it's about a couple that no one, including the original author, cares about).

But that's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading and sticking through to the end. Always remember to grow.


End file.
